On the road again
"You bet your ass I ain't gonna be mean to Willie Nelson," prosecutor says assinger pleads no contest to pot charge
Country star Willie Nelson pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of possession of drug paraphernalia Wednesday, following an incident last fall when the singer's tour bus was pulled over in West Texas and a Border Patrol — surprise! —smelled pot.
Nelson agreed to pay a $500 fine and court costs of about $280. As reported by Reuters, he can settle this charge by mail, an option given to him by Hudspeth County Attorney C.R. Bramblett, who said, "You bet your ass I ain't gonna be mean to Willie Nelson."
Bramblett added that he wasn't going easy on Nelson. "He got the same thing I’d give to anybody," the prosecutor said.
As CultureMap previously reported, the original arrest occurred in November during a routine stop in Sierra Blanca, while the 78-year-old singer was traveling from California (where medicinal marijuana is legal) to Austin. The bus reeked of pot.
Officials "found" less than two ounces. It takes more than five ounces to elevate the case to a felony.
“Between me and the sheriff, we threw out enough of it or smoked enough so that there’s only three ounces, which is within my jurisdiction,” Bramblett joked as reported by Big Bend Now, explaining that once the packaging was removed, the weight of Nelson stash dropped.
After the 78-year-old singer was arrested, Bramblett had joked that Nelson could plead guilty to a misdemeanor if he paid the fine and sang "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" at the county courthouse.
Nelson is an active advocate for marijuana legalization and is currently the poster child for the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws. His trouble with law enforcement dates back to 1995, extending to several of his pot-loving band members.
If Nelson behaves for 30 days, the whole case will be dismissed. There's little doubt that Nelson will continue to inhale.
But is he savvy enough not to get caught?
